Carburetor



July 14, 1931. J. F. 'MULLEN, JR

CARBURE'I'OR I Filedlay 3 1, 1927' Patented July 14, 1931 PATENT OFFICEJAMES F. HULLEN; .13.,

or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS CARBURETOR- Application filed May 31,

is accomplished primarily or momentarily by an electric heating element,but is under the heatin element is automatically opened, and where y theheat of the exhaust from the engine is then used to maintain the temperature necessary for vaporizing the liquid fuel, and for heating theair.

Another object is to provide novel and im-' proved means for feeding theliquid fuel by gravity into the mixing chamber of the carburetor.

Another ob ect is to provide a novel and t3: improvedconstructionwhereby the needle valve of the carburetor, when opened, need not beclosed to shut off the supply of liquid fuel to the mixing chamber ofthe carburetor, another valve ahead of the needle valve in the'path ofthe liquid being employed for this purpose, whereby the liquid fuel canbe turned on and shut off without disturbing the needle valve.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved construction andarrangement whereby the throttle valve which controls the admission ofthe mixture from the carburetor to the engine is connected with the I5needle valve, whereby both valves are controllable by one lever, or byone controller.

Another object is to provide novel and improved means for heating theair before it enters the mixing chamber ofthe carburetor. Another objectis to provide automatic electric control over the exhaust, so that theexhaust will be automatically shunted into a by-pass when theliquid-fuel vaporizing means becomes too hot, and whereby the exhaustwill be automatically returned to the passage for heating the vaporizingmeans, and for preheating the air, as soon as the said vaporizing meanshas been cooled down to a lower temperature.

thermostatic control, whereby the circuit .of

It is also an object to provide certain de- 1927. Serial No. 195,229.

tails and features of construction tending to increase the generaleificiency and desirability of a carburetor of this particularconstruction, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

To these and other useful ends, the invention consists in the mattershereinafter set forth and claimed, and shown'in the accompanyingdrawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a carburetor involving the principles ofthe invention.

Fig. 2 is a view on a smaller scale, looking down on certain portions ofsaid carburetor, with certain portions thereof shown broken away .oromitted for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 33 of F s. .1.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the electric circuit connectionsof certain heating elements shown and described.

As'thus illustrated, the. invention comprises a carburetor body 1 havingan upper liquid-fuel chamber 2' therein provided with an inlet valve 3controlled by the float 4, so that liquid fuel will enter, from anysuitable source, as soon as the float moves down ward. The carburetorbody 1 also has a mixin'g chamber 5 therein, below said fuel chamber,and this mixing chamber has a fuel 1102- 8 zle 6 extending downwardtherein, which nozzle has a vertical fuel passage 7 communicating with atransverse passage 8 'in the upper portion of this nozzle, which upperportion and which transverse passage 8 are in the upper fuel chamber 2of the carburetor.

A needle valve 9 extends downward through the carburetor, and its-lowerpointed portion engages .the seat 10 formed in the upper end of thepassage 7, as shown. A sleeve 11 surrounds the needle valve and isthreaded at its lower end portionto engage the threaded socket 12, whichhas a ri ht-hand thread, in the upper end portion 0 the said nozzle 6,

as shown. The upper portion of this sleeve 11 is provided with-a gear13, which gear engages an idler gear 14 suitably mounted on the top ofthe carburetor, while the toothed segment 15 engages the said idlergear. This segment 15 is rigid with the le- 1m I ver 16, and is alsorigid with a vertically disposed rock shaft or stem 17 of the throttlevalve 18, which latter is disposed in the passage 19 leading from themixing chamber 5 to the'intake manifold of the engine. Another sleeve 20surrounds the sleevell and is provided at its lower end with an enlargedand flaring portion 21 having openings 22 to register with the passage 8previously mentioned. A coiled spring 23 is provided on the sleeve 20,between the shoulder 24 and the shoulder 25, to yieldingly hold thevalve member 21 downward upon the upwardly tapered portion of the nozzle6, as shown. A lever 26 is rigid with the sleeve 20, and a lever 27 isrigid with the needle valve 9, this lever 27 having a threaded portion28 that engages the threaded portion 29, which has a left-hand thread,which is rigid with the gear 13, previously mentioned. The two screwthreads 12 and 29 cause the needle valve 9 to move up and down twice asfast, of course, as would be the case with one thread. With thisarrangement, the needle valve 9 and the throttle valve 18 are controlled simultaneously by a movement of the lever 16, in any desiredmanner. Through the medium of the lever 26, the valve member 21 isrotatable to turn on or shut ofi' the flow of liquid fuel from thechamber 2 into the passage 8 and down through the passage 7 to themixing chamber below. By movement of the lever 27, through the medium ofthe screw connection 29, the needle valve can'be adjusted up and down,and held in adjusted relation to the sleeve 11 and the gear 13, in orderto insure the desired results. When the lever 16 is operated, it causesrotation of the gear 13, and this, because of the screw connection 12,and the screw 29, causes the needle valve to move up and down.

Means are provided for vaporizing the.

liquid fuel, comprising a plate 30 below the nozzle 6, u on which theliquid fuel drips or feedsby gravity. The exhaust has a passage 31 belowthe plate 30, the exhaust passage being separated from the plate 30 by aplate 32, these two plates being of metal, and there is another plate33, of mica or similar material, between the plates 30 and 32, as shown.The air intake chamber 34 belowthe exhaust passage 31 is provided with anum ber of parallel and vertically disposed copper plates 35, whichbecome highly heated to heat the air which enters through the passage36, and which then, when preheated, escapes upwardly into the mixingchamber, as shown. A valve or damper 37 is provided in the passage 36 tocontrol the supply of air.

Means are provided for automatlcally controlling the temperature of theplate 30, and

for controlling the exhaust, comprising a thermostat 38, preferablydisposed between the plates 30 and 33, of any suitable character. Anelectric heating element 39 is provided between the plates 32 and 33 andconnected in circuit with a battery 40 or other source of current, asshown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. It will be seen that the exhaust'passage 31 has a by-pas's passage 41 controlled by a damper or valve42, which latter is controlled by the two electromagnets 43 and 44,through the medium of a common I armature 45, whereby the valve ordamper 42 may be swung back and forth to direct the exhaust eitherthrough the passage 31 or through the by-pass 41, as will hereinaftermore fully appear.

Assuming that the automobile engine is cold and that it is desired tostart the engine,

the switch 46 in the battery circuit of the heating element 39 will beclosed. At such time the thermostat circuit is closed at the stationarycontact point 47, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. At such time theexhaust passage 31 is o 11. As soon as the heat is sufficient, thethermostat opens the circuit of the heating element 39, and engages thestationary contact point 48, which closes a battery circuit through theelectromagnet 44,

whereby this magnet pulls up the armature 45 and closes the passage 31automatically. The driver of the motor vehicle opens the switch 46 andthe engine continues to operate, the liquid fuel being vaporized in themixing chamber and mixed with the preheated air,

thus providing a highly efiicient fuel. As I soon as the plate 30 hasbeen cooled to a lower temperature, the thermostat 38 operates back intothe position shown in 'Fig. 4, thereby closing through the electromagnet43, causing the latter to pull down the armature 45 and thereby againopen the exhaust passage 31 to provide exhaust heat for preheating theair and for vaporizing the liquid fuel. It will be seen that when thearmature 45 was pulled upward by the magnet 44, the circuit of thelatter was opened at 49, while the circuit of the magnet 43 was closedat 50; and, vice versa, when the armature 45 is pulled downward, itleaves the circuit of the magnet 44 closed and automatically opens thecircuit of the magnet 43, in a manner that will be readily understood.Thus the thermostat serves automatically to keep the plate 30 at theproper temperature for varporizing the liquid fuel. I

Preferably, a baflle plate 51 is provided in the mixin chamber 5, in thepath of the air, between t e nozzle 6 and the throttle valve 18, so thatthe air will be somewhat checked and thorou hly mixed with the vaporizedliquid fuel fore escaping into the engine.

Obviously, the throttle 18 and the needle valve 9 can be operated asexplained, through the medium of the lever 16, and the lever 26 andthevalve21 canbe employed by the driver (by any suitable, known orapproved means), to turn on and shut off the liquid fuel. Also, thelever 27 can be operated to change the adjustment of the needle valve 9,to insure either a lean or a rich mixture, as may be required for therunning of the motor vehicle. Thus, when the valve 21 is open and whenthe needle valve is also open, fuel flows continuously from the fuelchamber 2 into the mixingl chamber 5 and drips continuously upon t evaporizing plate 30, and in this way fuel is being vaporized in thechamber 5 while the intake valves of the engine are closed, as well aswhile said valves are open. The exhaust not only heats the plate 30, but-it also heats the chamber 5, of course, and in this way also heats thechamber 2, whereby the temperature of the fuel in the chamber 2 israised above normal before it flows by gravity into the mixin chamber.

It will be seen that the vaporizing surface provided by the wall 30 isdepressed somewhat, below the'bottom of said chamber, and

is adapted to catch and retain the liquid fuel until the latter isentirely vaporized by the incomin air. Thus, in heating this surface, noliqui fuel can dripor flow awaytherefrom before it is fully vaporized,or substantially so.

Without disclaiming anything, and without prejudice to any noveltydisclosed, what I claim as my invention is:

1. In an internal combustion engine carburetor, a fuel chamber, a mixingchamber,

valve mechanism operable about a vertical axis for continuously feedingthe liquid fuel by gravity from said fuel chamber into said mixingchamber, controllable manually to start and stop the engine, meansproviding a vaporizing surface upon which the liquid fuel drips or fallscontinuously, formed to support the liquid untilit is fully vaporized,an air inlet for said chamber, and a mixture outlet for said chamber,said mechanism comprising a needle valve and, a shut-off" valve, eachvalve operable independentlyg/of the other, in combination with athrottle valve for said mixture outlet, and means for simultaneouslycontrolling said needle valve and -throttle valve.

2. An internal combustion en ine carburetor comprising a mixingch'am er,valve means operable about a vertical axis for dripping liquid fuel intosaid chamber, through the top thereof, an air inlet for said chamber, anexhaust heater in said air inlet, a by-pass extending around saidheater, means for controllin the exhaust to cause it to pass eitherthroug said heater or through said by-pass, means for operating saidvalve means to start and stop the en inc, and a mixture outlet for saidmixing. 0 amber.

3. A structure as specified in claim 2, said heater having its upperside provided with a vaporizer for receiving and retaining and 1vaporizing the liquid fuel.

a vaporizer for receiving and vaporizing the liquid fuel, in combinationwith electric means to heat said vaporizer in starting the engine.

5. In a carburetor, the combination of, a casing providing an upper fuelchamber, a mixing chamber directly below said fuel chamber, an air inletchamber directly below said mixing chamber, an outlet passage in thebottom of said fuel chamber for feeding the fuel by gravity into themixing chamber,

valve mechanism extending vertically in the fuel chamber to control saidfuel outlet, a float in said fuel chamber, an inlet Valve controlled bysaid float, means operable about a vertical axis for controlling saidvalve mechanism, and a mixture outlet for said mixing chamber.

6. A structure as specified in claim 5, said float being hinged at oneside thereof to move up and down and extending circularly in the form ofa ring around said valve mec anism. 7. A structure as specified in claim5, said mixture outlet having a throttle valve geared to said valvemechanism.

8. A structure as specified in claim 5, in combination with an exhaustheater for heating said air 'inlet chamber and thereby heating said.mixing chamber, and thereby heating said fuel chamber.

9. A structure as specified in claim 5, comprising an exhaust heater forheating said air inlet ch-amber to heat the incoming air, and avaporizer heated by said exhaust heater, said vaporizer disposed inposition to receive the falling liquid fuel, whereby the fuel is droppedthrough heated air on to a heated vaporizer.

10. In an internal combustion engine carburetor, the combination ofmeans forming an air inlet chamber, a mixing chamber above said airinlet chamber, a liquid fuel chamber immediately above the mixingchamber, valve mechanism for dripping fuel from the fuel chamber intothe mixing chamber, controllable for starting and stopping the engine, athrottle outlet for the mixing chamber, means connecting said valvemechanism and throttle together, means to control the throttle andthereby control said valvemechanism, and an exhaust heater for heatingthe air inlet chamber and the mixing chamber, and for thereby heatingthe fuel chamber.

11. A structure as specified in claim 10,

. said valve mechanism being adapted to feed 13. An internal combustionengine carburetor, comprising means forming a vaporizing chamber, meansforming a llquid fuel chamber immediately above said va orizing chamber,valve mechanism for ripping liquid fuel by gravity from said fuelchamber into said vaporizing chamber, controllable about a vertical axisto start and stop the engine, and means forming an air inlet for saidvaporizing chamber, together with means forming a mixture outlet forsaid vaporizing chamber, and valve mechanism comprising a needle valve,and a shut-off valve between said needle valve and said fuel chamber.

14. An internal combustion engine carburetor, comprising means forming ava oriz-- ing chamber, means forming a liqui fuel chamber immediatelyabove said vaporizing chamber,-valve mechanism for dripping liquid fuelby gravity from said" fuel chamber into said vaporizing chamber,controllable about a vertical axis to start and stop the engine, andmeans forming an air inlet for said vaporizing chamber, together withmeans forming a mixture outlet for said vaporizing chamber, saidvaporizing-chamber having its bottom provided with 'a vaporiz-- ingsurface to catch the fuel, adapted to hold the fuel until it is fullyvaporized b the incoming air, together with engine ex aust meansdirectly under said vaporizing surface to heat the fuel and therebyexpedite the vaporizing action, in combination with a by-pass aroundsaid exhaust heating means, and valve means controllable to cause theexhaust to pass through either said heating .means or said by-pass.

15. An internal combustion engine carburetor, comprising means forming ava orizing chamber, means forming a liqui fuel chamber immediately abovesaid vaporizing chamber, valve mechanism for drippin liquid fuel bygravity from said fuel 0 am- .ber into said vaporizing chamber,controllable about a vertical axis to start and stop the engine, andmeans forming an air inlet for said vaporizing chamber, together withmeans forming a mixture outlet for said vaporizing chamber, said varizing chamber havin its bottom provid with a vaporizing surface tocatch the fuel, adapted retor, comprising means forming a va orizingchamber, means forming a liqui fuel chamber immediately above saidvaporizing chamber, valve mechanism for dropping liquid fuel by gravityfrom said fuel chamber into said vaporizing chamber, controllable abouta. vertical axis to start and stop the engine, and means forming an airinlet for said vaporizing chamber, together with means formin a mixtureoutlet for said vaporizing cham r, comprising a rotary shutoff valveassociated with said needle valve, controlling the supply of liquid fuelto said needle valve.

14th day of May,

Specification signed this 1927.

JAIMES F. MULLEN, JR.

to hold the fuel until it is fully vaporized by the incoming air, incombination with electric heating means controllable for heating saidvaporizing surface to start and stop the engine.

16. An internal combustion engine carburetor, comprising means forming avaporizing chamber, means forming a liquid fuel chamber immediatelyabove said vaporizing chamber, valve mechanism for dri ping liquid fuelby gravity from said fue chamber into said vaporizing chamber,controllable about a vertical axis to start and stop the englue, andmeans forming an air inlet for said vaporizing chamber, together withmeans

